Lessons Learned from Sand River Green Infrastructure Project

摘要

Five years ago, the Sand River Green Infrastructure Project was completed in Aiken, SC. The project employed a holistic approach and environmentally friendly technologies to address the erosion of Sand River, which had been damaged for years by urban stormwater discharge. The project's success, although still a work in progress due to the nature of these technologies, has been widely recognized. It was showcased in May 2016 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of a dozen "City Green: Innovative Green Infrastructure Solutions for Downtown and Infill Locations," and awarded a Main Street South Carolina Inspiration Achievement Award for Public Works. It also was selected as a Sustainable Sites Initiative, helping test the nation's first rating system for green landscape design, construction and maintenance. Looking back on the project and its continuing impact on the area and the industry, those driving this groundbreaking project discussed what lessons they learned and how this advice could benefit future green infrastructure developments.